


Colors of Chloe

by bel_halliwell



Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-26
Updated: 2015-07-26
Packaged: 2018-04-11 06:30:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4424990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bel_halliwell/pseuds/bel_halliwell
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>White. That’s the first color that Beca thinks of when she sees Chloe, and it strikes her as odd because that’s not a color she normally associates with Chloe. </p>
<p>Or, the one where Chloe is sick and Beca takes care of her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Colors of Chloe

White

That’s the first color that Beca thinks of when she sees Chloe, and it strikes her as odd because that’s not a color she normally associates with Chloe. Chloe is red, with fiery hair and passion for singing and a temper that can take over (in the rare occasion she lets it). Chloe’s yellow, with sunshine and happiness and a smile that always widens when it washes over Beca. Chloe’s blue, with her sparkling eyes that remind Beca of lakes and always shine, and how calm and cool she can be when the situation warrants it. 

But white isn’t a color Beca thinks of when she sees Chloe.

So it’s a reason to have concern, and Beca calls for a ten minute break for the girls to get water and rest. She makes her way over to Chloe, who’s standing near the white board, studying their plan.

“Chlo?” Beca says softly, and Chloe lets out a little breath, because she was so absorbed in the board, she didn’t realize Beca had come over.

“Hey Becs. After the break, want me to run through some cardio with the girls, and then we can go into vocal exercises?” Chloe asks hers.

Beca’s looking into her eyes, and noticing that Chloe’s eyes are a little glassy. Along with the pale skin of her face, highlighted even more through the frame of deep red hair and crystal blue eyes, Beca quickly realizes that Chloe’s definitely not feeling 100%. 

Not that the redhead will admit it, though, because if ever someone was more stubborn than Beca, or even Aubrey, it was Chloe when faced with being sick.

“Are you feeling okay?” Beca asks gently.

“Yeah, fine. Why?” Chloe replies, flashing Beca a bright smile.

Beca sees through the smile. She’s spent enough time with Chloe to know when the girl’s trying to hide something.

“Chloe, you’re really pale. When did you eat last?” Beca asks her, reaching down to Chloe’s backpack. She rifles through and pulls out a banana, glad that Chloe can be pretty predictable. Chloe never goes anywhere without a snack, a book, a spare charger, and spare headphones in her bag, and Beca knows it. “Here, eat this,” she says as she thrusts the banana at Chloe.

“Thanks Beca, but I’m okay, really,” Chloe tells her. She accepts the banana anyway, because technically she didn’t eat breakfast, and yeah, her blood sugar is a little low, but she’s trying to ignore the fact that her stomach’s not feeling completely right. And is it just her, or is it hot in the auditorium?

Beca watches Chloe, making sure she’s actually going to eat it and not toss it back in her bag when Beca’s back is turned. Chloe humors her by taking a large bite, so Beca goes back to her laptop where the half completed set is waiting.

She half listens to the Bella’s chatting away, and tries to focus on the set. It’s easier when Chloe calls them all over to start cardio, and the thud of running feet up and down a million stairs plays in the background of her mind better than eight voices. Her headphones are back at the Bella house, forgotten on her bed, and she knows that really, she should have skipped her visit to the coffee cart and gone back for them when she realized.

_It’s definitely a plus to be in charge of creating sets, if it means skipping cardio occasionally,_ Beca thinks. She’s gotten used to the exercise – she had to after realizing how exhausting the dance choreography was at Nationals her first year, and she went running with Chloe at some god forsaken early time last week, because Chloe just had to look at her and stick out her bottom lip, and despite trying to fight it, Beca knows that she’ll eventually give in, so she may as well get it over with.

The set is slowly coming along. She’s scrolling through her track list, hoping that a song might pop out to her that would work perfectly, when the sound of shouting breaks through.

Her head snaps up, and she sees the Bella’s crowded around something at the top of the auditorium above the chairs. She can’t see Chloe’s flash of red hair in the group, and her stomach starts sinking as her feet are automatically moving, taking her up the stairs faster than she’s ever gone before.

“Move,” she commands when she reaches the group, none too politely, but the girls don’t comment – they just part like the sea, so that Chloe’s still form is displayed on the floor. Beca’s heart drops, and she kneels down. Stacie and Ashley are already kneeling, slapping Chloe lightly on the cheeks and calling her to wake up.

“What happened?” Beca asks urgently. She picks up Chloe’s hand in her own, and squeezes lightly. There’s no response, and she brings up her other hand to Chloe’s face, brushing her cheek lightly.

Chloe’s skin is hot to the touch, which makes sense considering she had just been running laps, but her skin is even whiter than before. Beca bites her lip, debating whether this is urgent enough for an ambulance call, when Chloe’s eyes finally flutter open.

“Hey,” Beca says gently. “Don’t get up. You collapsed during cardio. Does anything hurt?”

Beca watches Chloe mentally assess each of her body parts. “Nothing injured,” Chloe says, “but I don’t feel well.”

“I knew you weren’t well. I should have spoken up,” Beca tells her. “I’m sorry.”

Chloe smiles weakly. “Like I would have listened to you anyway.”

“Alright, we need to get you home,” Beca says. “Or would you rather go to Urgent Care?”

“No, home please. I’ll drink some water and go to bed, I’m sure I’ll be fine after some sleep,” Chloe says. She grips tighter to Beca’s hand and uses it as leverage to slowly sit up. Beca slides her free arm around her shoulders to support her.

“Hey, I’ve got my car here, since I was going to go straight from rehearsals to my parents place in Alabama,” Jessica says, and Beca remembers that all the Bella’s are still there, standing around them. She sort of forgot they were there when Chloe started to waken. “If we can get Chloe to the car, I can drive her home, so she’s not walking?” she offers.

Beca smiles gratefully at her, nodding. She sends a sharp look at Chloe, who was opening her mouth to protest, and the redhead sighed, nodding resignedly.

“Want me to help you carry her?” Ashley volunteers, and Beca’s about to say yes when Chloe holds up her hand – the one that’s not holding Beca’s, which she’s still clutching tightly. 

“Okay, I only passed out, I’m not an invalid,” Chloe tells them. “See, I’m sitting up. I’m fine.”

“Chlo, you just passed out,” Beca tells her. “You’re not fine. But I guess maybe you can try walking to the car. Want to try standing first?”

Chloe nods, and Beca supports her to stand up. Chloe’s feeling a little shaky on her legs, and she really just wants to go to bed and sleep off this achy feeling that’s taken over her body, but she definitely doesn’t want to be carried out. 

“Alright, can I assume rehearsal is over then, or…?” Amy asks slowly, trying to appear sympathetic to Chloe but failing to hide the grin on her face. “Because I might have a date that I’d be totally down with showing up early to.”

“Get out of here guys,” Beca tells them. “Enjoy your weekends, if I don’t see you at home. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!”

The girls all give their best wishes to Chloe and hug each other, and make their way out of the auditorium, chatting away. Lily stays back, planning on going back to the house, and the four of them slowly make their way outside.

Chloe releases a sigh of relief as she sinks into the backseat of Jessica’s car. She closes her eyes, and focuses on the rumble of the car’s engine.

“Chloe,” Beca says, and pauses, studying the redhead next to her. Chloe doesn’t respond, and she reaches a hand up to touch Chloe’s forehead. “Wow, she’s really warm, I think she has a fever.”

Jessica glances in the rear view mirror. “She looks like she’s asleep,” she points out. Beca prods Chloe, whose head lolls to the side.

“I think she is,” Beca replies. “Hey, any chance you can swing by the pharmacy before we get home? I’m pretty sure the only medication we have expired two years ago.”

“Sure,” Jessica replies.

They’re at the pharmacy within moments, and Beca ducks inside to pick up an assortment of medication – advil, stomach pills, flu tablets, anything that could possibly be helpful for Chloe. She’s back in the car within a few minutes, and Jessica gets them to the Bella’s house several minutes after.

“Can I help you bring her inside?” Jessica asks as she shuts off the engine. 

“I think I’ll be okay,” Beca replies. She gets out and comes around to Chloe’s side, and gently shakes Chloe’s arm. “Time to wake up now, we’re home. Chloe, wake up. You’re going to bed, okay?”

Chloe’s eyes flutter open, and she nods slowly. Beca pulls one of Chloe’s arms around her neck, and supports most of Chloe’s weight to stand and start moving towards the front door.

“Thanks, Jess, have fun with your parents!” Beca calls to Jess, who waves. Lily gets the front door open, and Beca half walks, half carries Chloe inside. She briefly considers settling Chloe on the couch, but knows Chloe will be much more comfortable in her own bed, so moves towards the stairs hesitantly.

After closing the front door behind them, Lily steps over and drapes Chloe’s other arm over her shoulder. Together, the three of them make their way upstairs, going slowly to make sure they don’t trip. 

They reach Chloe’s room, and lower Chloe to the bed. Chloe’s eyes immediately close, and she’s asleep within moments.

Lily says something inaudible, and leaves the room.

“Oh, Chloe,” Beca says softly, as she sits at the foot of the bed and starts unzipping Chloe’s boots. She manages to get them off and tosses them by the bed, then moves to the window to open it up and let some fresh air it.

Chloe’s definitely fast asleep, so Beca leaves the bag of medication on Chloe’s night stand and heads downstairs. She grabs a few bottles of water from the fridge, a package of crackers, and an apple. From there, she heads back upstairs to her own room and changes into a pair of sweats and a shirt, and collects her laptop, headphones, and her pillow.

Arms loaded, she makes her way into Chloe’s room. She deposits the stuff on Chloe’s desk, and creeps close to the bed to check on Chloe, resting her hand on her forehead. Chloe’s really warm still, so Beca gets the thermometer and after a minute of trying to figure out how it works, she slips it under Chloe’s tongue until it beeps at her.

101 degrees.

Beca’s not a nurse, but she’s pretty sure that 101 is pretty fucking high for a temperature. She vaguely remembers something about having to go home from summer camp early because her fever reached 100, so a degree higher can’t be good.

Google. That’s going to have to become her best friend right now.

Moving back to the desk, she opens her laptop and brings up a search window. She types in ‘What to do if someone has a high temperature,’ waiting impatiently for the results to load.

She realizes pretty quickly that she’s not going to be able to rely on much, since the websites she clicked into were telling her that Chloe had anything from a mild fever, to appendicitis. The key advice she kept seeing was lots of rest and fluids. She glances at Chloe, fast asleep on her bed. _Well, at least I’m doing something right_ , she thinks.

She figures she may as well get comfortable, so she drags the small, squashy armchair that Chloe keeps in the corner of the room over to the foot of the bed. She settles in, feet propped up on Chloe’s bed and laptop resting on her knees, and brings up an essay she’s supposed to be submitting in a few days.

________________________________

Chloe’s first realization is that she’s not wearing any shoes.

This strikes her as odd, and she tries to remember when she took them off. She can’t though, and figures the next best thing would be to find them.

That’s when she realizes she’s laying on her bed. She finds this strange, because she’s wearing regular clothes, not her pajamas, and she still has her bra on. Chloe hates sleeping with a bra on.

“Whoa, what are you doing?” says a voice, as Chloe starts to twist around to get her hands under her shirt.

“Taking my bra off,” Chloe replies, her voice scratchy from sleep. “Beca?”

“Yes, it’s me,” Beca says as she sets her laptop on the floor next to her, and leans forward in the chair. “How are you feeling?”

“I don’t know where my shoes are,” Chloe tells her, because this is still puzzling her. “Why am I sleeping with my bra on? I don’t like wearing my bra to bed.”

Chloe doesn’t notice Beca’s smirk, or the light tinge of pink on her cheeks. Chloe’s finally gotten the hooks of her bra undone, and she tugs her arms out of the straps, twisting still as she navigates the bra out from under her shirt.

“Chloe, I took your shoes off for you,” Beca tells her. “Sorry, but getting your bra off was all your responsibility. But seriously, how are you feeling?”

“I’m tired,” Chloe says. “And I’m thirsty. And my stomach doesn’t feel good.”

“Here, have a few slow sips of this,” Beca says, handing her a bottle of water. “Do you think you might throw up? Want me to get a bucket for you?”

Chloe takes a slow drink, and shakes her head. “No, I think I’ll be okay. I just want to sleep some more. But I want to put my pajamas on. I think I want to sleep. Can you help me, Becs?”

Beca nods, moving over to the dresser and pulling out a pair of sweats and a loose shirt. She hands them to Chloe, turning to give her some privacy while she changes. 

“I’m ready,” Chloe says after several minutes, and Beca turns to see Chloe in her pajamas, sitting on the edge of the bed. 

“All right, now let’s get you under the covers,” Beca tells her gently, and tugs the comforter back. She waits until Chloe’s laying down, and then pulls the comforter back up and tucking it under Chloe’s chin.

“You’re a pretty nurse,” Chloe says, withdrawing a hand to cup Beca’s cheek. “Pretty, and a nurse. That’s a good combination, you know.”

Beca grins. “That’s good to know.” She wonders if Chloe might be slightly delirious, and retrieves the medicine and thermometer from the desk. “Here, I want you to take these pills with some water,” she says, popping some tablets from a packet and handing them to Chloe. She helps Chloe sit up a little to swallow the pills, who does so obediently and then flops back onto the pillow.

“I want to take your temperature now, okay?” Beca asks, slipping the thermometer under Chloe’s tongue.

Chloe starts to say something, but stops as the thermometer beeps.

“Still 101,” Beca says, half to herself. “Right, so I want you to try to finish this bottle of water, and then you can go back to sleep, okay?”

She makes Chloe sit back up again and coaxes her for several minutes until the bottle is empty. She then tells Chloe it’s okay to go back to sleep, and within minutes, Chloe’s fast asleep and Beca’s left with mixed feelings of concern and affection for her best friend.

________________________________

Two hours later, and Chloe’s awake again. Beca manages to get her to drink another bottle of water, as well as eat half an apple and several crackers.

Chloe still seems a little out of it - she told Beca that she had pretty eyes, then asked if she should join the army – and Beca’s not sure if she should be concerned, but Chloe’s not throwing up, and her temperature had gone down to 100.8, so Beca’s trying to stay hopeful.

Once Chloe’s back to sleep, Beca goes downstairs and inhales a sandwich for dinner. After a quick bathroom visit, she’s back in her armchair by Chloe’s bed, and brings her laptop up to continue working on her mixes.

Chloe wakes up several hours later and Beca repeats the process of making her drink water and eat some crackers. She marvels slightly at how quickly Chloe can fall back to sleep, and then lets out a yawn of her own.

_Well, her temp is till 100.8, I may as well stay here the night_ , Beca thinks to herself. It’s only a little after nine, but she’s tired. She closes the lid of her laptop and sets it on Chloe’s desk, then pulls a blanket from Chloe’s closet.

_I’m so going to be sore in the morning,_ she thinks as she wriggles in the armchair to get comfortable, legs propped up on Chloe’s bed. After a final glance at Chloe to make sure she’s still sleeping, she pulls the blanket a little tighter around her, and closes her eyes.

________________________________

“Good morning, Becs,” a warm voice says, as Beca yawns and blinks her eyes to clear the sleep away.

Then she does a double take.

She’s no longer laying in the armchair. Instead, she’s stretched out in Chloe’s bed under the comforter. Chloe’s lying next to her, her head propped up with an arm and a wide smile on her face. 

“Chloe, what’s going on?” Beca asks, stifling a yawn.

Chloe reaches out to tuck a stray piece of hair behind Beca’s ear. “I woke up around three, and felt so much better,” she says. “I even took my own temperature, it was at 98.8, which I’m pretty sure is normal. And you looked so cute there in the chair, all curled up.”

Beca raises an eyebrow. “First, I don’t do ‘cute’. Second, I’m glad you’re feeling better. Third though, how did I get from the chair to the bed? I don’t remember?”

“I tried to wake you, but you were sleeping pretty heavily,” Chloe explains. “But I got one of your arms around my shoulder and half dragged you into bed. You did help a little. But you didn’t really wake up.”

“Chloe, you could have just left me there, I was fine. You should have been resting yourself,” Beca scolds lightly, but a smile is playing at the corners of her mouth.

“I rested plenty, and if I left you there, you’d be really sore today,” Chloe tells her. “Besides, it meant that I got to cuddle you all night, and you know I love that.”

Beca smirks at this, because it’s true – Chloe’s such an affection seeker, and they’ve spent many nights crammed in the same bed. Not that she’d admit it willingly, but she loves spooning up with Chloe just as much as the redhead does.

“Also, I want you to know how much I appreciate you for taking care of me last night,” Chloe says sincerely.

“Are you sure you’re all better?” Beca asks her.

Instead of replying, Chloe reaches over her and grabs the thermometer from the nightstand. She slips it in her mouth, and pulls it out after a few seconds when there’s a beep.

“Ninety eight point five,” Chloe reads, and grins at Beca. “Believe me now?”

“Fine,” Beca says. “But, you should still take it easy today, and no cardio either.”

“Does that mean you won’t let me go for my morning run today?” Chloe asks her.

Beca raises an eyebrow, and Chloe giggles.

“That’s okay,” Chloe continues. “I’ve got something better to do anyway.” She drops her head back to the pillow, and wriggles herself closer to Beca. Beca’s arm automatically drapes around her, and Chloe presses into her side. “Does this count as appropriate resting?” Chloe asks Beca with a wink.

“Yes,” Beca tells her, “it does.”

 

**Fin.**


End file.
